Chinese scientists apply bat powers to privacy problem
- Acoustic device uses high-frequency sound waves to detect variations in activity
- Researchers predict it will be useful in care homes, hospitals and public toilets
A research lab in China has found a novel way to address surveillance and privacy concerns, by developing a monitoring device that can watch without seeing and hear without listening.
Instead, the instrument uses inaudible, high-frequency sound waves – far above the human voice – to detect and distinguish between a range of movements, in the same way a bat chases its prey in the dark.
Researchers envisage the device will be installed in private areas such as toilets, bedrooms or bathrooms, where a surveillance camera would be an unwelcome intrusion.
One potential use for the device is to send an alert to a designated recipient if it detects an elderly resident has slipped or collapsed in the shower, for example.
Lead scientist for the project Guo Xinhua, an associate professor at Wuhan University of Technology in central China, said the device would make privacy leaks a thing of the past.
“It cannot see your face or hear what you say. The detecting frequency stays way above the range of the human voice,” Guo said.